Improvement in fences



J. W. Le GORE. Pence..

No. 215,825. Patented May 27,1879.

gjmned/ M ET En UNITED STATES PATENT OEEioE,

JAMES IV. LE GORE, OF WOODSBOROUGH, MARYLAND.`

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,825, dated May 27,1879; application filed January 25, 1879.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES W. LE GORE, ofWoodsborough, Frederick county, Maryland, have invented an Improvementin Fences, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct. a portable wood fence whichcan be put together without any extra fastening device than is aorded byits own peculiar construction, and that when pnt up shall be bracedthroughout its whole extent, making it equally strong at all points, itbeing at the same time impossible to disconnect any two of the panelswithout commencing at one extremity of the fence and taking out the endpanel, my fence being also exceedingly simple and compact in itsconstruction, cheap to manufacture, easily and conveniently puttogether, and durable in use.

My invention consists in a peculiarly-constructed post, by the use ofwhich a better fastening and greater security are given to the fence,and I now proceed to describe the same more fully.

In the drawings. accompanying, Figure l represents a perspective view ofa fence, showing two panels, and Fig. 2 a separate view of one of theposts.

A B represent adjacent panels of a fence, one being shown as a three-barand one as a four-barred panel. The panels are formed at the end ofvertical strips c c, which are secured to the ends of the bars, as shownin the drawings, by means of bolts or nails which pass through thevertical strips and the ends of the bar aforesaid. This gives the panelsufcient strength by an easy and cheap construction, and at the sametime leaves space for the insertion of the tenons on the posts. Othervertical strips d d are fastened to the horizontal bars in the locationshown in the drawings to give the greatest am ount of stiffness withleast expenditure of material. They are fastened to the horizontal barson opposite sides thereof and at dierent points.

The peculiar construction of the posts is clearly shown in Fig. 2.Each'post is made of a solid vertical short post, e, in which are fixedthe tenons f j'. This short vertical post is supported at a distanceabove the ground by the inclined braces g g and the cross-bar h. Theinclined braces may be nailed securely at the upper end to the verticalpost, and they cross-bar may be let into the inclined braces and bottomof the'vertical post and secured thereto by nails. This constructionsupports the vertical post .at a distance above the ground, so that itdoes not corne in contact therewith, and at thesame time eiiects asaving of the material. The vertical post need not be of greater lengththan is required for two tenons, that number being sufficient in myYconstruction to hold the panels securely in place. A

The posts may be made of one piece and mortised for the insertion of thetenons, or may be built up of several pieces of scantling, the tenonsbeing iixed in place in the process of constructing the post. also bemade without the fixed tenons, the mortises being left open to receivethe tenons on the panel; but this construction will be less convenientfor a portable fence.

The relative arrangement of the panels and Vposts is clearly shown inthe drawings. Either narrow panels, such as shown at A, or wide, as atB, may be used with the same construction of posts. It will also appearfrom the description given, as well as from the drawings, that theentire panel, the cross-bars, and the vertical posts are all raisedabove the ground, and that`the only parts of the fence which rest uponthe earth are the ends of the inclined braces, so that there is theleast possible amount of wood liable to decay by contact with the earth.

' lt is obvious that the fence must be placed in the iield by beginningat one end and setting the posts and putting the panels in place inorder, one after the other. Vhen so placed the fence can be taken apartonly by proceed ing` in the same order-that is to say, by beginning atthe end. No intermediate panel can be moved without cutting, and no onepanel can be lifted without also lifting the weight of the twocontiguous panels. At the same time, the stability gained by the spreadof each pair of inclined braces is contributed in a greater or lessdegree to all the neighboring panels.

One of the most important of the numerous advantages possessed by thisfence is that, if

These posts may clined braces g, and cross-brace It, and provided withfixed tenons passing through said post and projecting on opposite sidesthereof, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES XV. LE GORE.

Witnesses:

L. W. SEELY, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON.

